ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Ali Amin Gandapur, the recently elected chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, has said he is prepared to hold direct talks with the Taliban’s supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, in an effort to restore peace in the region.
In remarks reported by The Express Tribune, Gandapur called on Pakistan’s federal government to authorize him to initiate negotiations with the Afghan Taliban, arguing that dialogue is the only path to long-term stability.
“I will hold talks with [Haibatullah] Akhundzada,” Gandapur was quoted as saying. “Negotiations are the only solution.”
Speaking to journalists in Islamabad on Friday, Gandapur said his provincial government had developed a peace plan in coordination with tribal elders across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and submitted it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior. However, he said the proposal has yet to receive a formal response.
“The Taliban cannot refuse talks with tribal elders,” Gandapur said. “Bring them to the table.”
He acknowledged he currently has no contact with the Taliban, but said he is ready to open communication if given a mandate. Gandapur also took aim at Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, claiming the cleric no longer holds meaningful influence with the Taliban leadership.
“Only lower-level Taliban leaders are in touch with him now,” he added.
Gandapur also noted that the JUI-F was more active than other parties in holding public rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ahead of the 2024 elections. “We were hiding in the mountains before the elections. We did not hold any rallies,” he said.
His remarks came as a Pakistani delegation, led by special envoy Sadiq Khan, arrived in Kabul on Friday. Sources said the delegation is expected to raise the issue of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with Taliban officials.
